French Studios Fortiche And TeamTO announce New Older-Skewing Animated Projects

Fortiche Production, the acclaimed French and Canary Islands-based animation studio behind Netflix’s award-winning League of Legends series Arcane which is also slated for a couple of spin-offs over the course of the next couple of years, has announced an exciting new project. The studio is joining forces with ARTE, the Franco-German television network, to produce Miss Saturne, a 2D animated mini-series targeted towards young adults.

The series is based on the novel of the same name by Barbara Israël. This coming-of-age story is set against the vibrant backdrop of the French Riviera in 1984. Miss Saturne will follow the journey of three teenagers, Mercy, Tom, and Clara, who decide to escape their lives by hopping aboard a night train. Their adventure will be soundtracked by a nostalgic mixtape of 1980s New Wave music, promising a unique auditory and visual experience.

According to Fortiche’s description, Mercy is a young woman with a deep passion for New Wave music, which unfortunately clashes with her bourgeois family life in Nice. Her companions on this escapade are her two best friends: Tom, described as gay and uncompromising, and Clara, a fascinating but melancholic figure. The trio initially feel an exhilarating sense of invincibility, setting the stage for the events that unfold during their journey.

The animated mini-series will consist of ten episodes, each ten minutes long. Leading the project as director is Anne Raffin, a veteran of Arcane, ensuring a high level of animation quality and storytelling. The adaptation of Israël’s novel is being handled by screenwriter Louise Silverio, known for her work on Those Who Blush and Solitary Loves, suggesting a sensitive and nuanced approach to the source material.

Miss Saturne is a co-production between Fortiche, Les Storygraphes, and ARTE France, who will also serve as the broadcast partner. The project has received support from Pictanovo and France’s CNC (National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image), highlighting the French animation industry’s backing of this promising series.

While fans eagerly await its release, production for Miss Saturne is slated to begin in 2026, with the broadcast anticipated in 2027. This announcement adds to the growing anticipation for Fortiche’s future projects following the phenomenal success of Arcane. The combination of a compelling coming-of-age narrative, the evocative sounds of 1980s New Wave music, and the talent of Fortiche Production makes Miss Saturne a mini-series to watch out for in the coming years.